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Did you know Eero Aarnio designed this citrus squeezer? Do you care? You should, because you never know when a brightly colored lemon squeezer will come in handy, and you’re not the type to just buy any ol’ squeezer. Also, just for fun, let’s play a quick game. Which of these three chairs did Eero Aarnio design?
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Before the holiday break, my home’s recessed can lights looked like a sad sack of characters past their prime: their springs that had lost their ‘spring’ and the plastic trim had yellowed, giving the appearance that the lights were much older than their dozen years. My home is pretty modern- it’s a very open plan, loft-like townhome- and the lights just weren’t cutting it. Plus, we (my husband and I) wanted to upgrade to LEDs, so we bit the bullet and decided to purchase new lights.
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It’s coooold out, so how about a hot cup of tea? You might have seen several cast-iron teapots, as they aren’t too hard to find, especially considering all the variations on the traditional Japanese cast-iron pot. However, this Ciacapo fella is something surprising with its bold silhouette. Yep, it’s cast iron, so it will keep your team warm for hours (multiple cups at your desk, anyone?) and, for bonus points, it’s heavy enough to use as a door stop- if for some reason you need to use it as such. Expertly crafted, it’s more than fit for a modern kitchen and will last through years of casual, everyday use.
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Need a small container or two to hold those odds and ends? Check out these powdercoated, geometric Wall Pockets. They’d work well in the entryway for keys and mail or around your workspace to catch pens, pencils, and other supplies. And, yes, it’d be better if the mounting hardware wasn’t visible, but remember, each pocket is $9.
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Another calendar for your consideration… and yes, we featured it last year, but you could probably use a reminder, right? Postalco’s wall calendar has the year laid out in a list format, making “elusive time visible,” as they say. There’s space next to each day to notate important events with extra room at the bottom for reminders, plans, or ideas.
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Dominoes, anyone? Yeah, yeah, I know you’re hard at work now that the holidays are well and truly over, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still look forward to your down time, where you’ll hopefully be playing games with friends and loved ones rather than staring at a wall wondering where it all went wrong. The classic “double 6” domino set has been re-designed by The Principals (in collaboration with lifestyle brand Billy Reid) so that you’ll have a pleasing shape and weight to each piece as well as a thoroughly modernized numbering system. Permission to feel smug when you bring this game to any gathering is now granted… only for a few minutes, though, don’t be annoying.
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When a modern lamp has a USB port and costs $150, it’s worth a look. Designed by Studio 1A.M and sold by CB2, this little task light has an inset panel of LEDs for a warm glow and a red woven cord and switch for a primary pop of contrast.
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I’m a little in love with this simple vase. It has a series of interchangeable caps that complement the simple receptacle, giving you various options to display your floral arrangements. Or maybe you’d prefer just a vase caps to add to any glass you currently have for a quick modern update? Several designs are available.
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It’s back to work for most of us, and let’s ring in the new year by getting your calendar sorted. How about tracking the date with a perpetual calendar that’s also a metric ruler? Sebastian Bergne’s Monthly Measure fulfills both duties with its die-cast star and sawtooth-edged ruler. Placed at one centimeter intervals, the date can be marked by rolling the star along the edge.
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Happy New Year! If you’re a typography aficionado, you’ll be glad to hear that the 365 Calendar is back again for 2014. Each month features one typeface (chosen by a prominent designer Stefan Sagmeister, Ivan Chermayeff, Tom Geismar, Massimo Vignelli, Michael Vanderbyl, Louise Fili and others, all members of the Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI)) and includes a description and biography of the typeface designer. As with previous editions, the major holidays are noted as well as the birthdays of the typeface designers.

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Straws! Did you know that with Jix, a modular connector by Patrick Martinez, you can build all sorts of sculptures in a matter of minutes? Not many of us will go to the extent of the environment shown in the picture above, but a table-top sized sphere or a rhombohedron, sure. That imagination needs to be exercised, after all, and maybe even your friends, family, or coworkers will get involved building larger shapes.
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There are worse things to aspire to than to be true and brave, so if you’re short of new year’s resolutions, this door mat will remind you each and every day to be your best self. ‘Lead by example’ can be your new mantra for 2014.

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Happy Holidays to you and yours! Here’s hoping you’ll have an excellent holiday break, full of good food and fun. We’ll be back with regular posts whenever we feel like it. Enjoy yourself!

Shown above, for next year’s festivities: Infinite Tree, approximate ship date 3/15/2014.
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Think you can’t afford an Arne Jacobsen piece? Sure, maybe not the furniture, but you can now own… (drum roll) a cup. Who doesn’t want some Bauhaus-inspired typography on their cup of coffee/tea/pencils/pens/miscellany? The letters were originally created by Jacobsen in 1937 for Aarhus City Hall, and now they’ve been revived (with permission) on these porcelain cups. Need I point out this could be a good gift for Jacobsen fans? (No need to go broke- just get two cups with the recipient’s initials if their name is prohibitively long.)

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It’s nearing stocking-stuffer time, and for $8, you can stuff your favorite cook’s stocking with this beech wood spoon with a handy silicone stylus end. If they use a tablet in the kitchen for following recipes, they’ll appreciate the combination, no doubt about it.
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